1. The Wake-Up Call

When I first entered university, I believed being a “hidden gem” was enough. I thought that as long as I coded well and did my work properly, opportunities would eventually find me.

But after participating in academic competitions, reaching the semi-finals of the Eureka competition for students in Southern Vietnam, and observing recruitment trends and inspiring figures online, I began to see a different reality. The modern world is full of noise. Competence alone is not visible. Without evidence, effort disappears.

I realized that building a personal brand is not about vanity — it is about documenting proof. Proof of problems solved. Proof of mistakes made. Proof of how long I have stayed on this path of understanding systems.

After reading Soft Skills, I became even more convinced: writing publicly creates accountability. It is a record of real attempts, not just private ambition.

2. The Existing Problem

For a long time, I paid too much attention to the judgments of others. Ironically, I often advised people not to let outsiders define them — yet I was doing exactly that.

I have a strong intellectual ego. I dislike being wrong. I dislike failure. While this pushed me to work hard, it also made me hesitant: hesitant to apply for scholarships, hesitant to publish ideas, hesitant to expose unfinished thinking.

This fear of “exposing my flaws” is closely related to the Spotlight Effect — a cognitive bias where we overestimate how much others notice or judge us. Research consistently shows that people care far less about our mistakes than we imagine.

According to Carol Dweck’s research at Stanford University on belief systems, when we operate from a fixed mindset, failure threatens identity. The brain interprets rejection as danger. The amygdala activates a fight-or-flight response. To avoid psychological pain, the ego may choose self-handicapping: not applying, not publishing, not trying — all to protect identity.

In this state, the ego becomes an enemy. It prioritizes identity safety over capability growth.

3. What I Am Doing Now

I model my behavior as a simple system:

Input: Comparison with others + intellectual ego
Process: Overthinking and strict internal evaluation loops
Output: Delayed action

Intervention must also be systematic.

I introduce constraints:

• Set small, measurable goals

• Follow daily routines

• Publish before perfection

• Write within 60 minutes

• Limit revisions

Action first. Optimization later.

4. Conclusion

This article is Version 0.1 of me — a public deployment of my intention to change. It is not perfect, but it is real.

And that is enough to begin.

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.